Improvement in trunks



STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

E. AQG. ROULSTONE, OF BOXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUNKS.

Specification forming part oi' Letters Patent No. 59,272, dated October 30, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E. A. G. ItoULs'roNE, of Roxbury, inthe county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Traveling-Trunk; and l do hereby declare that the following', taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description oi' my invention sufcient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The main view A of the drawings represents a trunk embodying my invention.

a denotes the leather forming the body of the trunk, which is, as usual, made up of two parts, the lower one, b, of which is generally termed the body,7 and the upper one, c, the top, though both are equally employed a packing-compartments.

The end of each part b c is formed or riveted upon an angle metal frame, d, bent rightan gularly in a transverse direction, and shaped longitudinally to the form the part c or bis to have in cross-section, the leather forming the sides and bottom or top beinglapped over upon the end pieces, o r vice versa, and being riveted directly to the metal frame, which is placed inside of the leather body.

By this construction, which constitutes part of my invention, I dispense with the stitches usually employed in making up the body, and, if advisable, with the iron bands upon the exterior of the trunk, imparting great strength to the body by these frames. At each front corner of the lid, where it shuts over the part b, I apply a guard, e, bent around the front and end, and riveted through the leather a to a metal band or frame, x, riveted to the body a, and forming the closing lip of the lid, the guard having an extension, j', projecting down below the edge ot' the lid, and so as to t closely against the corners g. By this extension of these guards the parts I) and c and the hinges connecting them are preserved-from injury by violent lateral strain upon either part of the trunk. These guards e, so riveted to the frame x, and provided with the exten-- sions f, form another part of my invention.

Each upper corner of the trunk is protected by a guard, h, swaged or otherwise so made into form as to project over the end, top, or bottom, and adjacent'side of the body, and riveted to the frame d.

Each lower corner guard, c', is formed and applied to the body and angle-frame (l in the same manner as is the guard h, and has forming part of or made integral with it a projection, 2, resting directly against the bottom of the trunk, and forming a bearing for a caster, 7c, to further protect which the guard is furnished with a shoulder, l, extending endwise from the projection 2, and so that the caster is kept from violently striking the ground when either end of the trunk is dropped. These guards h and t, so constructed and applied, also' form parts of my invention.

Each hinge m is formed-of two parts, each of which is bent around the back and end of the body, (as seen at B, which is 'a View ot' one of the rear corners,) and is riveted through the back and end to the band x, the upper half of each hinge extending down ush with the edge of the lid, the hinge so constructed and applied being very strong, and, in connection with the guards e, making an invulnerable protection to the trunk at the line of opening thereof.

The swinging box a, which occupies the lid of the trunk, is held in place by spring-latches o, of peculiar construction. Each latch is formed from a single piece of metal, iirst cut into a at form, as seen at C, and then bent into the shape as seen at D, and subsequently having the end p soldered ,or fastened to the shank got' the plate, as seen at E. The shank q is riveted to the inside of the box n, as seen at A by dotted lines, and the bent part o forms a latch projecting through a plate, s, and latching behind a catch in the lid, the

portion t forming a thumb-piece to spring back the latch. Ears a, at the opposite sides of the shank q, prevent the latch from protrading too far from the face of the box. These latches, so constructed, constitute part of my invention.

The webbing-straps, which are generally applied to prevent the lid of a trunk from tipping back, are objectionable in that they generally swing out from the trunk in closing it. To'obviate this they are sometimes connected by an elastic cord running from one to the other; but the employment of such elastic is objectionable, because it does not permit convenient access to the box in the lid.

To obviate these objections I apply to eachv webbing thin springs t, which as the lid is closed spring inward, carrying with them the webbing, and preventing it from protruding beyond the trunk.

This application fornis another part of my invention.

I claim- 1. The employment of the angle-frames to support and strengthen the trunk-body, when applied to the interior of the body, with each frame bent transversely and longitudinally, as described, and with the side of the body lapped over the end, or vice versa, and riveted to the angle-frame, substantially as described.

2. The guards e, when made with extensions f and riveted to the frame m, substantially as set forth. Y

3. The guards h and i, when shaped and riveted to the anglefralnes, substantially as set forth.

A. e. RoULs'roNn.

lVitnesses J. B. CROSBY, F. GoULD. 

